Support

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to the field of firearms, and in particular, though not exclusively to a support for a firearm. One aspect provides a support for a firearm for supporting the firearm above a surface, the support comprising a support body and at least two surface-engaging support legs, the support further comprising a projection which is received within a recess defined by a connection element attached to or integral with the firearm to longitudinally restrain the firearm with respect to the support, in which the support further comprises a ball detent mechanism, the ball detent mechanism including at least one ball which is biased to engage a further recess defined by the connection element attached to or integral with the firearm, the ball detent mechanism being operated by a release mechanism to withdraw the said at least one ball from the further recess, and in which the release mechanism comprises a user grippable element which extends below the projection.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of firearms, and in particular,though not exclusively to a support for a firearm.

BACKGROUND

A variety of supports are used for firearms including monopods, bipods,and tripods, as well as other supports like quad sticks. In relation tobipods, some designs such as the Harris bipod of U.S. Pat. No.4,625,620, are semi-permanently mounted on the firearm. The applicanthas developed a successful range of lightweight hunting bipods andtripods which can be rapidly connected to a firearm when needed tosupport the firearm, or detached from the firearm, when not needed. Onebipod or tripod can be used with a range of firearms. See for exampleUS2015/0204479.

An object of the invention may be to provide an alternative means forattaching a support for a firearm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a support,such as a bipod or tripod for a firearm according to claim 1. Preferablythe support is a bipod. Some preferred features of the support are setout in claims 2 to 7.

The support may be advantageous in that it can be quickly attached to afirearm when needed or quickly disconnected from the firearm when notneeded. In particular, the release mechanism may be operated by a userpulling down (or up according to the mechanism) on a locking collar torelease the balls of the ball detent i.e., to unlock the ball detent'smechanism and so permitting easy connection or disconnection of thesupport and firearm. An element defining the recess and/or projectionmay be provided with a magnet which attracts the other of the elementand projection to enhance insertion of the projection into the recess.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided acombination of a support, such as a bipod or tripod, for a firearmaccording to the invention and a firearm according to claim 8. Somepreferred features of the combination are set out in claims 9 to 12. Forexample, the firearm of claim 8 may be that of claim 1.

In the context of the invention, the term “firearm” typically refers toa gun such as a rifle which may be rested on a support to improveshooting accuracy.

In the context of the invention, the term “ball detent” includes similarmechanisms including biased elements which may not be spherical, whichengage with correspondingly shaped recesses to lock and disengage fromthose recesses to unlock.

In the context of the invention, references to directions, such as“downward”, refer to the normal orientation of the item referred to innormal use. For example, in the context of a firearm supported above ahorizontal surface by a bipod in accordance with the invention,“downward” means towards the surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Supports in accordance with the disclosure and combinations of suchsupports with firearms will now be described, by way of example only,with reference to the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 1 to 8 in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bipod in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a detail perspective view of the bipod of FIG. 1 and aconnection element in a disconnected condition;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross section of a portion of the bipod andconnection element of FIG. 2 in a connected and locked condition;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross section of a portion of the bipod andconnection element of FIG. 2 in a connected and unlocked condition;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the bipod of FIG. 1 connected to afirearm;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a combination of a bipod of FIG. 1 and afirearm in an unconnected condition;

FIG. 7 is a detail perspective view of the bipod of FIG. 1 disconnectedfrom a firearm; and

FIG. 8 is a detail perspective view of the bipod of FIG. 1 connected toa firearm.

DESCRIPTION

The bipod 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an aluminium support body 12 andcarbon fibre legs 14 and 16 which depend therefrom. The legs 14, 16 areof conventional tubular construction and are pivotally connected to thesupport body so that they can be brought together in a convenientcarrying condition or splayed apart in the deployed condition shown inFIG. 1. A cylindrical projection 17 extends above the support body 12.The projection 17 is tubular. The projection 17 houses a ball detentmechanism including balls B1, B2, B3, and B4 (obscured) and a balldetent release mechanism comprising annular knurled collar 18 which fitsabout the projection 17, spring 19 and locking rod LR (both of whichlatter elements are obscured in FIG. 1). The bipod projection 17 isshaped to be received within a connection element 20 which is fittedonto, or integral with or otherwise defined by, a firearm. The tubularconnection element 20 defines a cylindrical recess 22 which is sized toreceive the projection 17, the inner surface of the connector defininghemispherical recesses H1, H2, H3, and H4 which are sized to receive theballs B1, B2, B3, and B4 respectively when the bipod 10 is connected tothe connection element 20 by the insertion of the projection 17 into therecess 22. In the unlocked condition shown in FIG. 2, the collar 18 hasbeen moved downwardly (in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 2) andthis operates the ball detent mechanism so that the balls B1-4 arewithdrawn into the perimeter of projection 17 so that the projection 17can be conveniently inserted into the recess 22, so connecting the bipod10 and connection element 20 (and therefore the connected firearm).

The ball detent mechanism is shown in more detail in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.In the locked and connected condition shown in FIG. 3, the projection 17has been inserted into the connection element 20's recess 22 and theballs B1-B-4 have been received within the corresponding recesses R1-4(with any necessary angular rotation of the projection 17 to permit theballs to engage the recesses). The balls B1-B-4 are held within therecesses R1-R4 by the extended compression spring 19 acting againstlocking rod LR which in turn acts against the balls B1-4 to maintainthem in the corresponding recesses R1-4. In this way, the bipod is heldin a fixed angular position with respect to the firearm. In the unlockedcondition shown in FIG. 4, the locking collar 18 has been moveddownwardly (in the direction of arrow A) which drives the locking rod LRdownwardly against the compression spring 19, allowing the balls B1-B-4to extract from the recesses R1-R4. In this unlocked condition, thebipod 10 and connection element 20 can easily be separated. It will beappreciated by the skilled addressee that it may be possible to insertthe projection into the connection element 20, or correspondinglywithdraw the projection 17 from the connection element 20 against, orovercoming, the ball detent mechanism which has been described by asuitable use of force.

FIG. 5 shows a combination comprising a firearm 30, which includes afore stock 32 and barrel 34, in combination with a bipod 10 which isgenerally as described above. The connection element 20G differs fromthe connection element 20 described above, as will be described later.The combination of firearm 30 and bipod 10 is shown in a connectedcondition in FIG. 5. A corresponding disconnected condition for thecombination of the firearm 30 and bipod 10 is shown in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show in more detail how the bipod 10 is connected to thefirearm 30 and attached connection element 20G. As can be seen,especially in FIG. 7, connection element 20G is fixed to the forestock32 of the firearm 30 by fastenings (not shown, but such as screwsextending into a wooden/synthetic forestock, or bolts connecting with asynthetic forestock). The connection element 20G defines a centralcylindrical recess 20G, similar to the recess 22 of connection element20 described above which receives the projection 17 of the bipod 10. Theperimeter of cylindrical recess 20G defines an annular groove G whichextends about the circumference of the recess which receives balls B1-4of the detent mechanism. The lateral movement of the balls B1-4 inannular groove G allows the connected bipod 10 to rotate about axis Xwhich may be advantageous in a practical shooting situation as itpermits panning of the rifle on the bipod support.

The bipod 10 can be quickly and conveniently detached from the firearm30 by pulling down on the knurled collar 18, which is especially easyfor a user to operate even from a shooting position.

The connection elements 20 and 20G have described above as being mountedexternal to the firearm 30's forestock. It will be appreciated thatconnection elements may be fitted within a firearm's forestock (as withapplicant's “gunsmithadapters—https://javelinbipod.co.uk/products/gunsmith-adaptors-) or evenformed by the forestock itself e.g., a synthetic forestock is formed todefine a recess to receive a bipod/tripod projection and an annulargroove or hemispherical recesses to receive balls of a ball detentmechanism.

Whilst a number of embodiments of supports for a firearm andcombinations of firearms have been disclosed in this specification anddescribed above, the skilled addressee will appreciate that numerousmodifications, changes or variants may be made to those embodiments orother embodiments devised without departing from the spirit of scope ofthe invention.

1. A support for a firearm for supporting the firearm above a surface, the support comprising a support body and at least two surface-engaging support legs, the support further comprising a projection which is received within a recess defined by a connection element attached to or integral with the firearm to longitudinally restrain the firearm with respect to the support, in which the support further comprises a ball detent mechanism, the ball detent mechanism including at least one ball which is biased to engage a further recess defined by the connection element attached to or integral with the firearm, the ball detent mechanism being operated by a release mechanism to withdraw the said at least one ball from the further recess, and in which the release mechanism comprises a user grippable element which extends below the projection.
 2. A support for a firearm according to claim 1, in which the release mechanism is operated by a downward movement to withdraw the said at least one ball from the or each further recess.
 3. A support for a firearm according to claim 1 in which the or each further recess is part-spherical whereby a ball is held laterally in such a part-spherical recess.
 4. A support for a firearm according to claim 3 in which a plurality of further part-spherical recesses is provided whereby each associated ball of the ball detent mechanism is held laterally in each of such part spherical recesses.
 5. A support for a firearm according to claim 1 in which the or each further recess is an elongate groove whereby a ball of the ball detent mechanism is able to move along such an elongate groove.
 6. A support for a firearm according to claim 1 in which the user grippable element of the release mechanism includes a user grippable collar.
 7. A support for a firearm according to claim 6 in which the collar extends about the projection and can be moved downwardly by a user to retract the ball detent mechanism to release the support from a connected firearm.
 8. A combination comprising a firearm, and the support for a firearm according to claim
 1. 9. A combination according to claim 8, in which the firearm is formed to define a connection element in the bottom portion of the fore stock of the firearm to receive the projection of the support to permit connection of the support to the firearm.
 10. A combination according to claim 8, in which the firearm has an attached interconnection element which defines a recess formed in the bottom portion of the fore stock of the firearm to receive the projection of the support to connect the support to the firearm.
 11. A connection comprising a firearm connected to a support for a firearm according to claim
 1. 12. A connection according to claim 11 in which the support can be detached from the firearm by downward movement of the release mechanism of the support, to permit disengagement of the ball detent mechanism from the connection element. 